Michael Gerson, a reporter with the Washington Post, wrote about his challenges with his boring diet. Unfortunately, most people who diet approach it in the wrong manner. Michael is one of them.

Here's an interview that he did with NPR about his weight-loss program. He's on a "low-carb" diet. There-in lies one of the problems. People think in terms of low-fat or low-carb. I do not recommend that as the criteria.

People also think, Eat Less, Exercise more is part of the plan. It's not. Eating less implies willpower and deprivation. While exercise is important, if you are eating fast-food or even at a fine restaurant, you cannot exercise off a 1,300-calorie meal. It would take about 2-hours. Good luck with that.

I can tell you this, if you are dieting and you still crave (and eat) French fries, mac and cheese, candy, junk food, soda, and other non-health promoting foods, you will fail. Frequently, I see people who have lost weight eating these types of foods.

If you are approaching a lifestyle change properly, you will identify food that tastes great and has health benefits. It's not that difficult.

However, most people are addicted to the American food system. You must be willing to leave the Western diet. It can be done. Millions have done it. However, many millions more have not.

When it comes to diet, health, and lifestyle issues, there are more myths than viruses on your computer. Two of my favorites:

Eat Less, Exercise More (I explain this in detail in my presentations)

Everything in moderation (see prior post)

So, it's always nice to see myths that are busted. The folks from Eat This, Not That have done that here. Check it out. The first one is about high fructose corn syrup. It ain't the villain that people make it out to be. The problem with sugar is that it shows up everywhere.

True, “Eat less and exercise more” is great advice if you can manage to follow it, but public-health authorities have repeated that line until they’re blue in the face and as a population we’ve only gotten fatter.

As I told the reporter:

Actually, that is horrible advice. In my presentations, I bust a lot of myths and that is the #1 myth. Sadly, people actually believe the myth. If the dieter abides by it, he will be using willpower and will experience deprivation. And, that is why all diets fail.

I tell people to eat more. If you are hungry, eat! Of course, the proper type of food...not Skittles, Snickers, and Snackwells.

While exercise does burn calories, what and how much you eat still matters. For example, a one-mile walk burns about 100 calories — so you'd have to walk for 12 miles to burn off the typical 1,200-calorie fast-food meal of a hamburger, fries, and a soft drink!